In The Drink
by Durgas Dragon
Summary: Cid keeps making drunken passes at Vincent


Title

**In The Drink**

_**Disclaimer: This is a purely fan-made piece that is using the world and characters from **__**Squaresoft's (Square Enix) **_**Final Fantasy VII **_**and is made entirely for enjoyment. No financial gain has been made in the making of this piece**_

_**Summery: Cid keeps making drunken passes at Vincent**_

_**Author's Note: Written for Combine2Rinraw. Possible out-of-characterness and general disregard for canon.**_

_**Constructive Criticism is always welcomed**_

_**Published: 30 March 2008**_

_**Rating: T**_

**The first time Vincent saw Cid drunk, Cid dumped a bucket of ice water on Tifa (much to the drunken delight of the crew), told Cloud he should dye his hair black and get it over with, and called Vincent a drama queen in the same breath he used an **_**incredibly**_** corny pick-up line before vomiting on Vincent's metal boots.**

**The second time he saw the pilot drunk, he told Aeris that she could seduce Cloud with her ****'good religious girl' act, Yuffie that she was a spoiled rotten little brat, and asked Vincent if he wanted to see what metal **_**he**_** had before he started to snore loudly.**

**The third time, he informed Barret that he was one ugly S.O.B., called Red XIII 'nappy', and propositioned Vincent before passing out.**

**Not entirely sure that he wanted to find out what would happen on the fourth time, Vincent enlisted Tifa to go on an alcohol purge—not that it was hard to get the busty bartender to help;**** she was still bitter over the ice water incident (and the resulting pictures). In fact, all he had to do was plant a bug in her ear and she did all the work for him, leaving him free and clear when the crew and pilot of the **_**Highwind**_** discovered all the beer was gone.**

**The dry spell only lasted a short period. When Aeris died****, Vincent was fairly certain he was the only sober person onboard the ship. Deciding it was for the best that he not be surrounded with depressed drunks and an inebriated Yuffie, he tried to hide. Then Cid stumbled upon him (quite literarily) and asked if Vincent wanted to 'compare scars', adding ' 'N by 'compairin'', I mean rubbin' 'em 'gainst eah'uders ta take 'way th' pain'.**

**Vincent thankfully was saved from answering when Cid tripped on his own feet and then didn't get back up for the rest of the night.**

**Vincent mulled over the entire thing later. Certainly, Cid had hit on other people in Vincent's presence—all women—but he was almost exclusive with his attention when he was drunk. It made him wonder—alcohol didn't change you or make you into a different person; all it did was lower your inhibition so you were more likely to do or say things, but they were all things you had thought about before. He had spent enough drunken days in his youth to know that this was true, but it made him wonder exactly where he stood with Cid. The pilot had clearly had less than pure thoughts about him, but either was so disgusted by them when he was sober or didn't care enough to act on them, so Vincent was left with his own morbidity and self-loathing.**

**He was quietly reading in a secluded corner, carefully turning pages with his good hand when Cid burst in on him.**

**"What th' hell ya doin' down here by yourself?" Cid asked loudly, smoking like a chimney.**

**"Reading."**

**Cid snatched the book from his clawed hand. "**_**The Reluctant Playboy**_**? What kinda sappy shit is this?"**

**Vincent rolled his eyes. "It's ****Miss Lockheart's, and the only thing that I haven't read on this ship."**

**"I have some books y****a coulda borrowed that'd been better than this women's porn."**

**"Cid, I've already all of them and to be honest, **_**How to Repair Damn Near Everything**_** doesn't exactly count as book you read for enjoyment."**

**"Neither does this crap." Cid waved the book in Vincent's face.**

**"This has some entertainment value," he said calmly before rescuing the book from Cid's greasy fingers. "This, at least, has poorly written sex scenes I can laugh at."**

**Cid dropped his cigarette. "WHAT?"**

**Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Shocked, Highwind? I find it hard to believe someone as…'earthy' as you would be so surprised at such a thought. I know you find some of these things to be a joke as much as I do."**

**"It's not that!" Cid stomped on the tobacco on the ground before lighting a new one. "I jus' didn't 'spect ya to say you read Tifa's romance novel's to laugh at the porn."**

**Vincent gave him a level stare. "Did you think I would read them because I would enjoy the canned plot and the flat, broken characters?"**

**"Shit man, I don't know! Y****a jus' never struck me as the kinda guy who had **_**any**_** interest in sex, even to laugh at since—" Cid stopped cold and took deep drag on his cigarette, clearly trying not to say more.**

**"Since…?"**

**"I ain't steppin' on no emotional landmind of yours!" Cid spat out. "I ain't finishin' that thought!"**

**"…I think you just did."**** Vincent stood up. "If you will excuse me…"**

**"Oh no, y****a don't!" Cid shoved him back. "Ya ain't gonna go off an' brood an' act like some teen in the Engine Room 'gain!"**

**"Don't you take that tone with me, Highwind!" He snapped angrily. "You know nothing about me, much less what I'm thinking or planning on doing next!"**

**"The hell I don't!" Cid roared. "I don't know everythin', but I know that she didn't deserve ya, not the other way 'round! She left ya! But ya won't let yourself get passed her! An' that's **_**blinded**_** you to everythin' an' everyone else!"**

**Do not speak of Her in such a way!"**

**Cid threw up his hands. "See? **_**See**_**? Even now, ya let her stand in the way of ya seein' it! Ya can't look passed your screwed memories to even notice what's right in front of your fuckin' nose! And **_**don't**_** give me that crap 'bout 'paying' for your 'sins' or whatever other shit ya like to spout out!"**

**Vincent glared.**** "You don't know anything."**

**Cid ignored him. "I mean, I know that girls are your first choice, but I've seen ya sneak looks at Strife's ass, so I know ya like guys too!**** Fuckin' HELL, Valentine! Don't ya think I at least deserve a 'let's jus' be friends' speech instead?!"**

**Vincent blinked. "Highwind, you're switching topics with no transitions again."**

**"I had PLENTY transition!" Cid barked. "We were fightin' 'bout ya bein' stupid an' stuck on Lucrecia an' how that's stoppin' ya from seein' that others are interested in ya!"**

**Things started to piece together in Vincent's brain. "You…This entire scene is happening because you have romantic interest in me?"**

**The pilot glowered at him. "Even YUFFIE fuckin' figured it out!"**

**"Why didn't you say something?" He asked, then quickly amended the situation when Cid looked like he was going to explode right there. "When you were sober, I mean."**

**Cid huffed. "'Cuz ya gave me nothin' when I was. Damn it, I had ta get drunk to work up the guts to let ya know an' then ya'd say nothin' 'bout it, so I had **_**no**_** idea that ya were okay wit' it!"**

**"Highwind. You were drunk. People say things they normally wouldn't when they have consumed too much alcohol. Wallace proves my point every time he gets drunk and Miss Lockheart is in the room."**

**Cid thought about it for a moment. "There's that," he finally conceded, looking calmer. "But I was pretty damn obvious when I wasn't drunk. How else do ya think Yuffie noticed?"**

**"Probably thought it was something**** she could blackmail you with."**

**"She did. I locked her out on the decks ****'til she begged for mercy."**

**Vincent smirked. "Good."**

**The two were silent for a moment, Cid lighting himself a new cigarette with the old one.**

**He puffed on it. "So…"**

**Vincent cocked his eyebrow.**

**"I'll show ya my piercin's if ya show me yours."**

**"I don't have any."**

**"I doubt that." Cid snorted. "But if ya wanna play it that way…we can compare scars instead."**

**"Highwind, you have the worst pick-up lines ever."**

**Cid smirked. "Yeah, but they work, now don't they?"**

**"Anyone stupid enough—"**

**Cid pulled back a little bit. "So…gunna let me see those scars yet?"**

**Vincent buried his clawed hand in Cid's shirt. "How attached to this shirt are you?"**

_**x Fin x**_


End file.
